Ruben Amorim bemoaned “not a good day” as Manchester United limped into the FA Cup fifth round with a late victory over Leicester. Harry Maguire’s last-gasp header against his former side secured a 2-1 victory but Amorim was unimpressed by the performance.
United have struggled at Old Trafford this season and went 1-0 down against a second-string Leicester team, less than a week after their 2-0 defeat against Crystal Palace.
Substitutes Alejandro Garnacho and Joshua Zirkzee combined to see the Dutchman equalise in the second half, before Maguire headed in Bruno Fernandes‘s delivery.
Asked if United had won it in ‘Fergie Time’, a phrase coined due to Sir Alex Ferguson’s teams knack for scoring late goals, Amorim responded to ITV: “We had to believe until the end but this game has nothing to do with the time of Fergie. I think the performance, we have to do so much better with the ball, without the ball.
“We didn’t have any energy in the beginning, especially in the first-half. Then in the second half we played a little bit better, with a little more speed, winning second balls. Then we managed to turn things around so it was a good result, not a good performance.
“The coach is the first responsible, when one team doesn’t perform, doesn’t improve, it is the coach but we are here to do things and to see the game, to study the game and try to improve for the next game.
“I think it’s the small things, if you see the games sometimes it’s to control the ball, to have the ball, don’t give the ball away in the first pressure. It’s the small things, it’s the big things, it’s everything.
“It’s this moment, it’s hard away but especially at home but we have to cope with that and we will try to do it next game.”
Pressed on whether winning the FA Cup would be good enough for United this season, the 40-year-old continued: “I can’t focus just on saving the season. It’s not the way I see football and it’s not the way I see Manchester United.
“It’s about the performance and the result. I’m not thinking about the final because the final is the end of the season. I care about the moment and the moment is not good enough. A good result, we move forward to the next stage. We have a week to prepare [for Tottenham away] but today is not good enough.”
Amorim continues to face mounting pressure to steer United back on track. Sitting 14th in the Premier League, the Red Devils visit fellow under-performers Spurs on next Sunday.
Content Source: www.express.co.uk